Chiropody foot rest



Feb. 20, 1934. A, cousms 1,947,758

CHIROPODY FOOT REST Filed Aug. 17, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet l 6 1 EEE Feb. 20, 1934. A. w. couslNs 1,947,758

CHIROPODY FOOT REST Filed Aug. 17, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 20, 1934. A w 1 1,947,758

CHIROPODY FOOT REST Filed Aug. 17, 1952 4 Shets-Sheet 3 Feb. 20, 1934. A. w. COUSINS 1,947,758

CHIROPODY FOOT REST Filed Aug. 17, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I a I I I I I Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES CHIROPODY FOOT REST Alfred William Cousins, Westcliff-on-Sea, England Application August 1'7,

1932, Serial No. 629,213,

and in Great Britain August 25, 1931 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a foot rest for chiropody. Attending to ones feet is always awkward, even for the young and agile, whilst for the elderly, the stout and the infirm, it is nearly impossible. My Chiropody foot rest enables the user to attend personally to his feet in comfort, Without having to adopt a cramped position, which might involve loss of balance or cause undue strain.

The present invention has for its main object to provide a foot rest which is especially adapted for home or individual use and facilitates the manual work in chiropody. Another object is to facilitate the viewing of the side or undersole of the foot when the latter is placed upon the top of the foot rest. A further object is to provide a stool, seat or the like piece of furniture upon which the user can seat himself, with a protrusible support for a foot plate, said support being retractile into the stool and concealable .therein.

The invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:--

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of -my chiropody foot rest, showing a top member comprising a foot plate slidable in guides.

Figure 2 is on a larger scale and is a perspective view of the foot plate detached.

Figure 3 is a plan view of another form of top member.

Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 represent metal mirrors for use with the foot rest.

Figure 8 is a plan View showing holding sockets for the mirror, which sockets are located in the guides for the foot plate.

Figure 9 shows a modification of the arrangement illustrated in Figure 8.

Figures 10 and 11 are a plan View and side elevation respectively, showing a top member hinged to a pedestal or base.

Figures 12, 1S and 14 relate to another form of the foot rest having a lid-fitted seat for the user, Figure 12 being a perspective view of the device closed up, Figure 13 being a side elevation of the device opened out, and Figure 14 being a sectional side elevation of part of Figure 13. Figure 15 is a plan view of the top member in Figure 13 and Figure 16 shows separately the foot plate in Figure 15.

Figures 1'7 and 18 are respectively a front View and plan view.

Figure 19 is a plan view of Figure 13 with the parts closed up but with the lid removed. Figure 20 is an elevation of a glass mirror with frame and tail piece.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a foot plate 1 of wood, metal or other suitable material is supported by the top of the hollow base or pedestal 2. This top member 1 preferably has a cork or similar covering 3 upon which the foot can be placed. This top member 1 is provided with a series of devices 4 for holding a removable metal mirror 5 in proximity to the toes, or to the heel end, or to either side of the foot. This mirror 5 is here represented as a metal mirror.

I have shown in Figure 1, this top member 1 slidable in fixed guides 6 which may consist of angular strip metal members secured by screws 6 to the cover or lid'7 of the hollow pedestal 2. The top member can thus he slid up or down in the guides 6 until the desired height is reached.

The holding devices 4 are represented in Figure 2 in the form of a plurality of apertures or slots, six in the example illustrated, in the border 1 of the top member 1 and into any of which the tail 5 of the metal inspection mirror can be inserted. These slots 4 are located at each end and also at the sides of the top member so that any desired portion of the foot can be inspectedv by reflection, the foot if desired being turned or tilted sideways to show the sole. In this arrangement, the footplate 1 and guides 6 constitute the top member upon the pedestal 2- and the mirror travelswith the slidable plate 1.

In the arrangement of Figure 3, the holding devices 4 for the tail 5 of the mirror 5 are provided as apertures in the fixed top of the pedestal 2, instead of in the slidable member 1 of Figures 1 and 2. The mirror 5 extends up to above the level of the footplate 1 so that the lower position of the apertures 4 for the mirror is without disadvantage. In this arrangement, the mirrorholding devices 4 and also the foot plate 1 are fixed in position upon the pedestal or base.

The holding devices 4 may be rectangular, round or other slots or sockets sunk in the borders of the footplate 1 (Fig. 2), or in the pedestal 2 (Fig. 3), or in the guides 6 (Figs. 8 and 9), the mirror having one or more tails or pegs 5 of corresponding shape to enter said slots or sockets. Fig. 2 shows a strip metal tail, Fig. 4 shows a square-section peg or -tail and Fig. 5 shows a mirror with two dependent pegs or tails. In the arrangement of Fig. 9, the slots 4 for the tail 5 of the mirror are formed in lugs 6 secured to the outside of the guides 6.

I may make the tail 5 of the mirror angularly adjustable as by means of a forked joint 8 with wing nut 8 as shown in Fig. 6, or a hinge joint 8" as shown in Fig. '7, so that for any of the several positions of the devices 4 around the foot plate the plane of the mirror 5 can be altered relatively to the plane of the top member 1.

The top member 1 is usually inclined upwardly upon the pedestal or base 2 to facilitate the location of the foot upon the cork covering 3 and also to facilitate the hand work necessary in chiropody, whilst maintaining a firm foot-rest at the best possible angle for the users direct operation upon his foot.

The pedestal or base 2 may be of wood or other suitable material and of any convenient form. It is shown of rectangular shape and provided with a drawer 9 having a knob 9 intended for scissors, files and. the like and into which drawer the removable mirror 5 can be stored when the latter is not in use.

The pedestal 2 is also shown in Fig. 1 provided with a transversely arranged trough or gutter 2d at the end of the pedestal nearer the user and adjacent to the lower end of the inclined top. This trough is secured by screws 2*. Parings from the foot or toe nails following the operations of chiropody, will descend the incline and fall into the trough 2a where they temporarily remain. The inner edge of this trough is as close as convenient to the lower end of the pedestal cover '7 in Figure 1 or to the lower end of the inclined top plate 1 in Fig. 3.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a simplified form of the foot-rest in which the cover 7 of the pedestal 2 forms the top member and is hinged at one end as at 7 being provided with slots 4 into any one of which the strip tail 5 of the mirror 5 can be inserted. This hinged lid '7 when raised gives access to the interior of the hollow pedestal 2 and soiled linen or the like can be stored below the lid 7. In this form of construction, the cork covering 3 is not shown, and the foot is placed directly on lid '7.

Although represented in Fig. 2, as a metal mirror 5, the mirror may obviously be of other suitable material with a surrounding frame to which the tail 5 is secured. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 20 where a silvered glass mirror 51) is enclosed in a frame 5a having a tail 5 By means of the mirror positioned in proximity to the foot of the user when the latter is placed upon the top member 1, foot-toilet work is greatly simplified because the image of the foot is refiected upwardly to the user. The user will ordinarily bend over towards the foot rest whether he be standing or seated, so that the image is in either case reflected upwardly to his eyes.

This chiropody foot-rest can be employed with an ordinary chair in which the user seats himself, or can be employed even without a chair or stool.

In further forms of my invention, I associate the chiropody foot rest with a seat member into which the supporting pedestal or base can be retracted when required, the whole then forming a neat cabinet useful in a bathroom or elsewhere.

In the arrangement of Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15 to 20, the supporting pedestal or base 2 is a separate member from the seat or stool and forms the middle portion of a three-compartment seat 10.

It can be protruded or pulled out therefrom leaving at front of the seat member a central cavity, gap or recess 18, Fig. 19. The pedestal or base 2 is connected with the seat 10 by intermediate members which allow the said pedestal to be pulled out from the open front of the recess 18 or to be pushed back thereinto whilst the pedestal remains at all times linked or connected with the seat. The pedestal or base 2 is here shown connected with the seat 10 by the link arms 19. These are represented as having a transverse tail piece 20 travelling in guide rails 21 provided in the walls of the said frontal gap or recess 18 and with heads 19 travelling in guide tubes 22 in the base 2 to prevent them from being withdrawn therefrom. The tubes 22 have contracted mouths 22 as shown, to prevent the heads 19 from being withdrawn from the tubes 22. These link arms when the pedestal or base 2 is pushed back into its gap or recess in the seat are free to pass into the supporting base 2 and to travel in the guides 22 within the said base.

The lid 11 is hinged to the seat or stool and covers the central recess 18 as well as two side compartments 23 which latter may be employed to house linen or the like. The separate pedestal or base 2 is shown provided with side members walls 24 curved at top and with a top inclined surface 25 having a series of parallel cross members thereon in the form for example, of metal strips 26 secured in place by screws or rivets. These strips 26 present a shallow gap at their upper or forward ends to enable the beak of the box frame hereafter described to engage below any one of said strips, as shown in Fig. 15. The strips 26 and surface 25 are arranged at heights below that of the lowest part of the top edges of the side walls 2 1 so that these side walls upstand above the strips 26.

A box frame 27 narrower than the width between the side walls 2 l and having a trailing beak or blade 28 extending across the rear of the frame, is provided with inturned lugs 29 extending along each upper side. The box frame is also provided at about its middle with a cross piece 30 projecting at its ends from each side of the frame. A dependent front plate 34 is mounted in position upon the box frame 2'7.

The foot-plate 1 fitted with a covering 3 of compressed cork or the like is slidably mounted in the lugs 29 so that said plate can he slid along the box frame to the desired position. This plate 1 has the slots 4 at the front, rear and sides to enable the tail 5 of a metal inspection mirror 5 to be fixed upon the plate 1 in proximity to any part of the foot placed on the cork 3. A choice of positions for the mirror is thus provided. The mirror is in Figure 14 represented in the position of use adjacent to the toes of'a foot placed upon the inset 3.

The beak 28 can be engaged with any one of the cross strips 26 on the inclined top 25 so that the angular inclination of the box frame carrying the foot plate 1 can be altered, the underside of the front portion of the frame 27 then resting on the front edge of the base 2 (see Fig. 14). The cross piece 30 steadies the box frame in position and bears against the inner faces of the side walls 24. The top of the side walls and of the front of the pedestal 2 may be sheathed with metal if desired, so that the cross piece 30 then bears against the sheathing on the side walls.

The rear of the pedestal 2 is provided with the drawer 9 in which the mirror 5, as well as chiropody instruments and the like, may be stored. When this drawer 9 is pushed home and the supporting base 2 is returned into its recess 18, see Fig. 19, the rear wall 32 of the seat 10 prevents the drawer 9 from being opened.

The base 2 is shown provided with castors 33 to facilitate its travel along the ground from or to its pulled out position. When the separate base 2 is retracted, the footplate 1 and intermediate members 19 are concealed in the gap or recess 18, the front of the base 2 then closing said gap as shown in Fig. 13.

Before the supporting base 2 of Fig. 14 is pushed home into its recess 18, the frame 27 is disconnected from its engaging strips 26 and laid upon the top surface of the supporting base 2 with the rear end adjacent to the beak 28 resting upon the top of the rear wall of the base 2 so that the whole frame and foot plate will be below the top of the front wall or edge 31.

The frame 27, top member 1, links 19 and rails 21 are preferably made of metal. The seat 10 and pedestal or base 2 are with advantage of wood, the top of the pedestal or base 2 and of its walls however, being covered or sheathed with metal if desired. But any other suitable materials may be employed as the manufacturer may decide.

It may be observed that this form of the chiropody foot-rest enables the user to seat himself upon the lid 11 (in the manner of a bath-room stool) and to employ the pulled out supporting base 2 of Fig. 13 for the inspection and chiropodic treatment of his own feet, the inspection mirror 5 assisting in viewing the sides or underside of the foot. By reason of the provision for adjustment of the angular inclination of the frame 27 and of the slidable adjustment of the top memher 1 on the frame 27, the device is suitable for persons of diiferent heights.

It is to be understood that the present invention can be embodied in seats other than stools and such as a bench, chair or settee.

What I claim is:-

1. A chiropody foot-rest comprising a top member, a base for said top member, a removable inspection mirror, a tail-piece to said mirror, and means for holding said removable mirror in proximity to a foot placed on said top member, said means including a series of apertures located around said top member and adapted to receive said tail piece.

2. A chiropody foot-rest comprising a supporting pedestal, a top member adjustably mounted on said pedestal, a removable inspection mirror, means carried by said foot-rest for holding said mirror at any one of a plurality of positions in proximity to the foot when placed on said top member, and means for varying the angle of the plane of the mirror relatively to the plane of said top member.

3. A chiropody foot-rest comprising a supporting base, fixed guides mounted on said base, said guides forming an inclined mounting a footplate adjustably secured in said guides, a removable inspection mirror, and means carried by 1 said foot-plate for holding the removable mirror in any one of a plurality of positions upon said foot-plate.

4. A chiropody foot-rest comprising a supporting base, a top member on which the foot is to be placed, said top member being mounted on said base in an inclined manner, a removable inspection mirror, means for holding said mirror in proximity to the foot upon said top member, and a transverse collecting trough mounted on said base adjacent to the lower end of said inclined top member.

5. A chiropody foot-rest comprising a supporting base, an inclined foot-plate carried by said supporting base, a removable inspection mirror,

' means provided upon the foot-plate at the front,

rear and sides thereof for holding said mirror in any of those positions, and a stool for the user of the foot-rest, said stool having a frontal recess therein said stool being connected with said base by intermediate members and said base and foot-plate being retractile into the recess in said stool.

6. A home chiropody foot-rest comprising a supporting base, a foot-plate carried by said supporting base, said foot-plate being inclined and adjustable in position upon said base, a removable inspection mirror, means for afiixing said mirror upon the foot-plate in proximity to a foot placed on said foot-plate, a seat member for the user of the foot-rest so arranged that the seated user faces the inclined foot-plate, said seat member having a frontal recess therein to form an open front compartment and intermediate connecting members between the said base and the interior of said seat member, said base and foot-plate being retractile into said compartment in said seat member.

7. A chiropody foot-rest comprising a supporting base, a foot-plate carried by said base, said foot-plate being inclined and adjustable in position upon said base, a removable inspection mirror, means for positioning said mirror in proximity to the foot when set upon the foot-plate, a hollow seat member so arranged that the said seated user faces the inclined foot-plate, the front of said seat member being formed with a gap, and intermediate link members between said base and the interior of said seat member, said base, foot-plate and link members being all retractile into said seat member through the gap in said hollow seat member.

8. A chiropody foot-rest comprising a supporting pedestal, an inclined foot-plate carried by said pedestal, a seat member for the user of the foot-rest, said inclined foot-plate facing the said seated user, a gap-provided front to said seat member, a rear wall to said seat member, intermediate members connecting said pedestal and said seat member, and a slidable drawer at the rear of said supporting pedestal, said supporting pedestal being retractile into said gap-provided seat member and said drawer being kept closed by the rear wall of said seat member when the pedestal is retracted within the seat member.

9. A chiropody foot-rest, comprising a sup porting base, a frame carried by the top of said base, a foot-plate adjustable in said frame, a removable inspection mirror, means carried by the foot-plate for holding said mirror in proximity to a foot placed upon said foot-plate, a seat member associated with said base and footplate, said seat member having a central recess and two lateral compartments, a hinged lid to said seat member, said lid extending over said recess and said lateral compartments, and intermediate connecting members between said base and said seat member, said base member being retractile into said seat member by way of said central recess.

10. A chiropody foot-rest comprising a supporting base, a foot-plate mounted upon said base, said foot-plate being inclined to the horizontal, a removable inspection mirror, a dependent tail-piece to said mirror, sockets spaced around the said foot-plate, said tail-piece being insertible into the selected one of said sockets, a seat member associated with said inclined footplate and so arranged that said foot-plate is inclined to face said seat member, and intermediate links between said seat member and said base,

ing arms between said seat member and said base, an inspection mirror, means carried by said foot-plate for holding said mirror in proximity to the foot when placed upon said foot-plate, and means for varying the plane of the mirror relatively to the plane of the said foot-plate.

ALFRED WILLIAM COUSINS.

its 

